Improvement in quoins for gun-carriages



D. D. PORTER.

Gun-Carriage.

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No. 22.377. l Patented Dec. 21,v 1858.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT Ormes.

DAVID D. PORTER, OF NAVY YARD NEAR PORTSMOUTH,'NEW HAIWIPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT I'N QUOINSFOR GUN-CARRIAGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 22,377, dated December 21, 15:38.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID D. PORTER, an officer of the United States' Navy, and now stationed at the navy-yard near Portsmouth, in the State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement Relating to Quoins for Ordnance or Gun-Carriages; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a side View of the wedge or quoin bed and other parts to be hereinafter described; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the bed; Fig. 3, a top view or plan of the bed; Fig. 4, a transverse section of the bed, the plane of section being in front of the wedge. Figs. 5 and 6 are side and top views of portions of the degree-rack. Fig. 7 is a side view of the front part of the wedge or quoin. Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the same. Figs. 9 and 10 are top and side Views lof the slot-chock.

The mechanism consisting of the wedge and bed, and termed a quoin and bed, is to be used on a gun-carriage, and for supporting the breech of' a cannon and imparting to it such an elevation as circumstances may require. The ordinary quoin and bed used in the naval service has the bed grooved lengthwise and provided with a perforated bar or series of holes, the same being for the reception of a tongue and stud extending from the lower side of the wedge. The great difficulty with this quoin is that as the perforated bar and the quoin on which it is placed are ar ranged underneath the quoin they cannot be seen to advantage by the gunner during the process of adjusting the wedge, and consequently he has no means of knowing or ascertaining the correct ,elevation of the piece. Furthermore, as the stud is placed very near to the front end of the wedge it becomes very diiieult or inconvenient to raise it out of' any one of the holes.

In carrying out my invention or improvement I arrange on the bed E, and alongside of each side or one side only of the wedge F, what I term a degree-rack,77 a, which is a metallic bar furnished with a series of notches, made at such distances apart from one another as may serve to indicate the different degrees or half-degrees of elevation of the gun under the various positions of the wedge on the bed.

With the degree rack or racks Iuse what Iterm the axle7 b, which is fastened to the lower side of the bolt, and has a short tooth or stud extended from each end, and to enter either of' the notches of the degree-rack. This axle I arrange at a distance from the frontend 0f the wedge equal to about one-fourth the length of the wedge, and I provide the said front end of' the wedge with a friction-roller, c, to rest and run on the bed. Furthermore, I construct 'in the bed E a long groove, d, for the reception of a grooved or slotted metallic plate, e, formed as shown in the drawings. This plate is to be let into the top surface of the bed so as to be flush therewith, and should be secured to it by numerous screws, the rear end of the slot g of the plate e terminating in an enlargement or opening, f, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, such enlargement being of greater size than the head.of' a T-bolt, h, which extends downward from the wedge and near its front end, and is formed as shown in Figs. 4, 7, and 8. The head of the T-bolt has a diameter transversely of the wedge greater than the width of the slot g, the same being in order that the said head may project beyond the slot, (when the shankof the bolt is within the sarna) so as to prevent the disengagement of the wedge o r quoin from the bed. The length of the shank of' the bolt should be sufficient to enable the quoin, while supported on the bed by its roller, to be lifted high enough to carry the axle out of any notch or notches of the degree rack or racks. After-the T-bolt may have been introduced in the groove g and the wedge has been shoved far enough forward P so as to uncover the enlargement j' and a sufficient part ofthe groove g, a check-block or check, It', formed as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, may be dropped or inserted in the groove or space d, and so long as it remains therein it will prevent the wedge from becoming disengaged from the bed, for on the wedge being driven far enough backward the T-bolt will bring up against the chock.

From the aboveit will be seen that the peculiar construction of the wedge and bed will allow the former to have a rapid longitudinalmotion either forward or backward on the latter without lbecoming disengaged from it, the T-bolt remaining in the slot under such circumstances. This in rapid firing is of great importance, and is a function not belonging to the connections of the wedge and bed of the ordinary quoin. The arrangement not only of the degree-rack, but the catch or projection of the axle with respect to the side of the wedge, and so that they are not covered by the Wedge, allows the rack and projecting part of the axle to be seen by the gunner, and so as to enable him easily to set the axle in any notch of the rack. Against one rack I usually employ an index-scale, m, marked with igures l 2 3, 81e., to indicate the notch corresponding to one, two, or other degree of eleva-tion of the gun. Furthermore, for nightservice I apply to the racks, or one ot' them, another scale, n, which may be termed the tangible scale,77 as where it comes opposite to each notch it has a number of raised studs or elevations, or tangible equivalents, corre sponding to the number of the degree indicated by the notch, the same being as shown in Fig. 3. They extend a short distance above the top surface of the scale, and are to be used in connection with the axle b, or the part thereof which projects into the rack. The gunner in the night-time by feeling with his ringer on these projections and resting the finger against the axle can determine the proper notch for the desired elevation that the gun is to have when the pendulum indicates that the ship is4 on an even heel.

The main advantages of my improved quoin mechanism are that by it the required degree of elevation is given and no vertical pointing is necessary 5 second, it renders the quoin perfectly steady and prevents it from flying off the bed; third, the quoin can be handled with much greater ease and with far greater dispatch, and a gun can be pointed in much less time than when the ordinary quoin and its attachments are employed.

I claiml. rlhe combination and arrangement of the degree rack or racks, the axle thereof, the T- bolt and its groove, with the bed and wedge, substantially as and for the purpose as described.

2. I do not claim the mere use ofv raised projections for .indicating numbers by the touch of the linger, as I am awarethat such is not new; but what I do claim .is the combination and arrangement of the tangible scale and axle with the degreelrack and the wedge, so that by the application of the finger to both scale and axle at one and the same time, and during the night or otherwise, the proper position of the wedge may be determined for any desirable elevation of the gun.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature.

DAVID l). PORTER. lVitnesses:

VILLIAM H. Hncxn'r'r, FRANK XV. ILxcxnT'r. 

